1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to wearable towel articles, and more particularly, to a combination baby safety towel and a wearable protector for the user who is attending the baby.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A baby requires frequent baths, yet bath time presents numerous difficulties and safety issues. Commonly a baby is bathed by a parent; the wet, wiggly, slippery baby is drawn out of the water; a nearby dry towel is grabbed; and then the baby is held in one arm against the parent's chest, while the other arm wraps the baby in a towel and dries the baby.
A primary concern is safety. The parent (or other attendant) may lose his or her grip on the wet baby in the transfer from the tub to the towel. An accident may result, which can be particularly hazardous due to the many hard surfaces often located nearby, such as the tub, toilet, sink, cabinets, and flooring. Even if the parent merely lets the baby slip, but recovers without an injury, the baby will be distraught—feeling the precariousness of the situation. What potentially could have been a pleasant experience suddenly becomes stressful and problematic.
Besides the safety issue, the baby may experience stress or discomfort during the awkward transfer. Picking up the dripping baby and then providing support with one hand, while wrapping the towel quickly and efficiently around the baby with the other hand, is tricky and inconvenient. Additionally, this procedure needs to be performed rather quickly to keep the wet baby from becoming chilled.
A separate problem is the wetting of the parent's clothing. As the dripping baby is supported in the single arm against the chest, the parent's clothing normally becomes saturated with water from the baby. Thus the parent optimally notes before the baby's bath time whether his or her clothing is suitable, and, if not, may need to change before the baby's bath. The parent may also need to change after the baby's bath, if his or her clothing becomes too damp.
The current invention solves these problems by providing an article of clothing that is worn protectively over the parent's clothing that also allows the parent to quickly, safely, and efficiently move, support, and dry the wet baby.
A similar problem occurring when drying a child after swimming or when washing a pet dog is also solved by the current invention.
Accordingly, there is an established need for a combination user protector and baby safety towel that increases safety and security for the baby, thus increasing the enjoyment of bath time for both parent and child, while providing protection for the parent's clothing.